Our Times / Orange County Communities

Costa Mesa

The City Council this week authorized an ecological evaluation of Canyon Park in an effort to prove that wildlife can be preserved even if some trees are removed.

The study, which could cost as much as $3,000, would examine the impact of replacing trees with native shrubs. The results would be included in a proposal to the California Coastal Commission as part of a request for permission to remove trees that are blocking residents' ocean views.

Almost a year ago, a group of residents complained to the council about overgrown eucalyptus trees at Canyon Park in west Costa Mesa. Three months ago, the city took the homeowners' concerns to the Coastal Commission, which regulates Canyon Park because it is in a coastal zone.

When city officials asked the commission if the trees could be replaced with shorter native shrubs, the coastal panel opposed the idea but agreed to consider an environmental study of the issue. In the meantime, the city is working with West Coast Arborists, the park's tree-trimming company, to trim and thin out existing trees.